Do what you love, one day a week: A walk in the bush

The wind ruffled our feathers wildly, whilst the sun teased us with blue sky, oyster clouds and dashing streaks of white. A sky that if painted wouldn’t look real. A day that held promise but so easily could have been spent hidden, sheltering from the gale force winds. Not a day for being whipped by sand at the beach, so perhaps a day for walking in the bush?

Walking is something I love – and by walking I mean real walking – in the wilderness (not pacing through shopping malls and high-streets). It’s something I grew up loving and I wish for my children to love. Today, I did something I love – I went walking with my family: My husband, my children and, making the walk even more special, my parents – to whom I thank for my love of nature.

In yesterday’s post I opened my heart as to how grateful and over joyed I am to have my wonderful Mum and Dad visiting us all the way from England. Having them here makes me wish, more than ever, we didn’t live SO far away – but, as one of my wonderfully supportive blogging friends said, ‘Quality is better than quantity. It’s when the stronger memories are made.‘

Today was definitely one of strong memory making, in the beautiful ‘Catchpool Valley‘ (where Charlotte was keen to take us and show the tree she’d planted on a school visit).

Alice sang songs in my ear most of the way, as I carried her on my back, asking for leaves to carry in her hands. She’s still singing, ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la laaaa, la la, la laaaa’ – thankfully quite tunefully!

Sophie skipped through the bush in her sparkly butterfly shirt, catching the sun rays filtering through the trees to the forest floor.

She stopped to marvel at a baby punga fern unfurling and a magic looking mushroom – which she said had been, ‘Half destroyed by a naughty goblin’. She counted the bridges we crossed as the bush-track meandered back and forth over winding streams and rivers.

Charlotte admired the many colours of green in the abundant forest.

Her artistic eyes drawn to the light and shade. She walked with her Daddy, taking photographs with the camera on the way, fully appreciating every detail.

The walk so full of wonder and discovery at every turn. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were thankful for shelter from the strong winds. Underneath the canopy of the forest the dappled sunlight was warm and welcoming. The only sounds were of bird call, footsteps, singing and the bubbling of the stream winding its way over rocks and down ravines.